The Coaching Will Make You
or Brake You
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| The coach you choose makes a big difference |
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Is Travel Hockey the Way To Go?
How BIG a commitment is your child ready to make?
Without a firm commitment from the prospective player, travel hockey is tossing money in the wind. It takes ability to put out effort, self disipline, and willingness to work hard to play travel team hockey. Hockey activities will average at least 3 usually 4 times a week. Travel hockey is much more intense than house league. Your child should be reaching out and ready for more training and likely a very good player at the level he or she was playing at. Travel hockey means less time with old friends but more time with new friends.
How much Travel is Travel?
Beginning to play youth travel hockey should be viewed as an adventure because it certainly will be first year out. Depending on the family schedule (which will never be the same) decide the extent of the travel that is acceptable. Local league travel is one venue and travel to more distant locations is another. Either way there will be some travel tournaments. Sort that out and if you are not willing to do the more intense travel cross off your list all the teams that travel long distances for games.
How much Money is Money?
Budgets vary from team to team. The total budget is divided out by number of players and wha-lah that is how your child's fee is arrived at. Depending on the budget arrived at for a team, which includes uniforms, (goalies buy their own equipment) referee fees, tournament entry fees, and the big one, the cost of practice and home game ice. There is a wide range of budgets but assume you will fall into the $1300 to $2700 cost range. Fund raisers usually do not diminish the amount per player by more than $150 or $200. You will be paying your family's food, hotel fees, purchasing hockey sticks and protection equipment as extras. You can ask for an estimate based on the prior year before you try out for a team. Installment payments are common.
How much Practice and Where?
In addition to games and tournaments there are practices to attend. The younger the player the earlier in the evening they are held during the week and usually there will be no weekend without hockey practice or game or both. At what rink or combination of rinks these are held is another consideration factor. Your child will be expected to make it to the practices and some parents car pool or have someone else take over in this aspect. Rest assured coaches are not pleased if practices are skipped because it is a team game when played. If the practice rinks are further away then you can manage cross those teams off your list.
The Right Coach with the Right Attitude
Although schedules and money are major concerns the best way to pick a team is for the type of coaching your child will receive. An on ice coach with both great knowledge of the game and a good rapport with youth is priceless. Ask those you know who are involved in the sport their opinions of the organizations and coaches. Coaches names are usually announced before tryouts. Some coaches move up levels with the same team they coach.
Springtime is Tryout Time
Teams playing in the fall have their tryouts in the prior spring. It usually costs $10 to $20 to try out for a team and you should try out for at least two if you can. Tryouts can end up with political selections of players so asking around about the team's politics can be helpful. Your child should be prepared to hit the ice and do his or her very best. Tryouts are no time to lay back. There are usually two days with tryout times. You can attend one and you may or may not be advised that day about your child's success or failure to be selected. Certain players may be returning from the year prior and there may be only so many spots and positions to fill. You may be asked to return for the second tryout. You can ask how many openings there actually are. If your child is selected you should be prepared to pay a part of the hockey fee at sign up. This ranges around $200 to $250 and applies to your fee unless you change your mind and then it is usually non-refundable.
Once you are on a team you best like hockey because there is going to be a whole lot of it! Take it easy mom and dad. Not all youth players end up playing pro hockey. Most youth hockey players are only preparing themselves to play Beer League Hockey, (but you can go to those games someday too!)
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| Detroit Vipers |
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| Greenville Growl |
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| Hersey Bears |
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Examples of creative US and Canadian Team logos
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Tip for the Goalie:
Advice about improving butterfly speed and width
from Goaltending Consultant Group’s Brian Daccord
(set to verse, of course, by Artica Burr)
Assuming your mechanics are correct and that’s in place
You learned to close your five hole, or a puck gets in your space.
The sizing is appropriate, on the pads you bought.
Speeding up the butterfly is now your foremost thought.
Improve upon the speed, in which you drop and butterfly.
Hammer down your pads at drills. It’s practice, that’s no lie.
Get beyond your comfort zone, and drive them to the ice.
Pretty soon your speed will start to pick up really nice.
Pads should make a good old thud, if maximizing speed.
Keep working hard, for in the net, it’s fast you’re going to need.
Flair and width means flexible. A fact you have to face.
It’s not the knees, but it’s the hips, that stretch the pads in place.
Remember to do your stretches!
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| Phoenix Roadrunners |
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| San Diego Gulls |
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| Swift Current Broncos |
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Examples of creative US and Canadian Team logos
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| For many Hockey proves a life long sport that starts when they are young. |
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©2008 Last Update Oct 2008
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